Politics
By Anthony Isibor
SINCE Timipre Sylva emerged as the winner of the Bayelsa All Progressives Congress, APC governorship primary, held on Friday, April 14 2023, he has been faceing series of controversies, especially those challenging the qualification of Joshua Maciver, his running mate.
One of such challenges was on the issue of the alleged criminal case against Joshua Maciver.
According to a tweeter post by one Jackson Ude, who tweeted via his tweeter handle @jacksonpbn, Sylva’s running mate, Maciver is a convicted murderer, a terrorist who escaped from Kaduna Prison in 2006 after being convicted for murder and terrorism.
Although the allegation has been severally rebuffed with the excuse that late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s administration had absolved Maciver of all wrongs by granting him full pardon through the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, in 2009. Ude had insisted that no record exists to show that Maciver was granted a Presidential pardon or enlisted into the PAP programme as alleged.
He had also accused Maciver of forging a PAP Identity card as no record in the Amnesty office indicates he was part of the programme.
“In 2006, Maciver told prison officials he needed an urgent medical attention for a life threatening ailment. On his way to the hospital, Maciver, with the help of some Niger Delta militants who stormed Kaduna, escaped.
“He returned to Bayelsa, cleaned himself up and has been involved in politics using ally, Government Oweizide Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, while the authorities looked away.
“Stunned by the discovery of his conviction, Timipre Sylva has been running around seeking help. Sylva allegedly sought the help of the Presidential Amnesty office to request that Maciver’s name be included in the PAP programme. His request was rebuffed by the PAP Coordinator, General Ndiomu, who insisted they cannot add his name since he was never known to have embraced the late President Yar’Adua’s initiated Amnesty programme. Sylva can no longer substitute his running mate according to the electoral Act except Maciver dies,” Ude Tweeted.
Some documents sighted by Realnews show that Ude may have been correct in his report.
One of such documents was a request letter addressed to the Office of the interim administrator on PAP seeking to confirm if Maciver was ever part of the programme or among those who have received pardon from late President Yar’adua in 2009
The letter which was received on July 7, 2023 and titled RE: REQUEST FOR CONFIRMATION OF UNCONDITIONAL PARDON GRANTED TO MR. JOSHUA MACIVER OF BAYELSA STATE, BY LATE PRESIDENT UMARU MUSA YAR’ADUA IN 2009.
Part of the letter read:
I am directed to confirm the status of an application made on behalf of Mr. Joshua Maciver of Bayesa State, for the issuance of a Letter of Confirmation of Unconditional Pardon granted him by the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2009.
Information made available to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is that the application for issuance of letter of confirmation has been made to your office since 16th June, 2023
Please treat as urgent to enable this office respond to an appeal for intervention made to Mr. President by Joshua Maciver. Also, a copy of letter of confirmation of unconditional pardon issued to Maciver should be forwarded to this office for immediate attention.
Subsequently, responding to the letter, the Presidential Amnesty Programme, office of the interim administrator in a letter with reference number OIA/PAP/IAO/VOLV/417 had disclosed that Maciver was never part of the PAP Programme of the Yar’adua’s administration.
According to the response, which was signed by Major General Barry Tariye Ndioma (rtd) Interim Administrator, Maciver’s name does not appear on the list of delegates captured in the PAP Data Bank from 2009 till date.
Part of the letter read:
I wish to humbly ocknowledge receipt of your letter Referance: SGF 19/5/105/178 dated 7 July 2023 and to state that there is no record in the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) to show that the said Joshua Maciver af Boyelsa State is a beneficiary of the PAP. His name does appear in the data bank of PAP ether as an ex-agitator or delegate nar do we have his home connected to any of the comps registered in PAP.
Consequently, we cannot confirm if an unconditional pardan was granted to Joshye Maciver by Late President Umaru Musc Yar Adue. Additionally, please find enclosed the list containing the names of all delegates captured in the PAP data bank from 2009 till dote in all three phases of the Programme
Please accept the assurances of my highest esteemed regards.
With the unfolding discoveries, APC may not be fielding any candidate for the Bayelsa State Governorship election scheduled for Nov. 11, 2023 even though Sylva had won the party’s primary, he may be disqualified if Maciver is found to be guilty of the allegations.
A.
Jul. 12 @ 16:32 GMT
Tags: Anthony Isibor APC Jackson Ude Joshua Maciver Timipre Sylva
